In SoHo, stringent guidelines restrict the construction of new buildings. Only those harmonious with the neighborhood’s context are considered, calling for subtlety in design.

The high-end lifestyles of SoHo inhabitants act as a counterweight to historic preservation. Luxury and modernity interweave with the past. To achieve this concept of ideological texture, we looked to the fashion industry for inspiration. In his collection, Pleats Please, Issey Miyake plays with depth and volume, combining innovative draping with elegant forms. We translated his fashion to the surface of our facade, folding the material in varied patterns and directions. Fashion is art, but it is also functional. Similarly, our façade is not merely aesthetic; structural and mechanical components give the façade its articulation.

Architectural pleating begins with a volume broken into three parts. At the ground level, a high-end boutique which is expressed by high ceilings and an open plan. This folds into a lobby serving the lofts and a small café. Both spaces flow into an exterior courtyard. The proportion and position of the courtyard make it configurable to accommodate small runway shows put on by the boutique. Five levels of lofts, varying in layout and ranging in size from 1,070 sq.ft. to 1,350 sq.ft., are layered and pleated above. Each level incorporates a light shelf to illuminate the space and a vertical bi-folding window that, when open, transforms the living space into a large balcony. A combination spa and gym borders the layers on the top floor, again weaving luxury and function. The façade of this level is hemmed back to allow for a terrace and to create visual dynamism from the street view. Glazed walls open to the terrace from the three pools of the spa, allowing it to become one continuous space in the same manner of fluidity as the living spaces.